Volume Two: Shadows of the Past, Chapter Forty-Nine: You can do whatever you want to me.

Without a moment to hesitate, Liu Manqiang quickly moved to a quieter spot and answered the call.

“Hello, is this Liu Manqiang’s number?” came Chen Jing’s voice through the line.

Liu Manqiang hurriedly confirmed, “Yes, yes, this is Liu Manqiang.”

Chen Jing chuckled warmly, “Good, good. I’m Chen Jing. It’s my first time calling you—I was worried I might have dialed the wrong number.”

“You couldn’t have. I have your number saved too,” Liu Manqiang replied, then paused before asking, “By the way, Jing, what’s up? Is there something you need help with?”

“Actually, yes,” Chen Jing teased a little before asking, “Are you still working with Director Zhang’s crew? Have you taken on any other roles recently?”

“I’m still with them, no other roles so far. But the shoot’s almost done, so I was planning to check out other crews tomorrow,” Liu Manqiang answered honestly.

“I see,” Chen Jing smiled and extended an invitation, “How about coming to my crew to take a look?”

“Ha?” Liu Manqiang was momentarily confused by Chen Jing’s meaning.

“I’m planning to shoot a movie soon, and the cast isn’t finalized yet. Would you like to audition?”

No hesitation—Liu Manqiang enthusiastically responded, “Absolutely, I’ll be there!” Although surprised that Chen Jing, a singer, was suddenly venturing into film, Liu Manqiang knew that whenever Chen Jing called, he would go.

“Heh, alright then. Are you free tomorrow? If so, come to my company for the audition.”

“Okay,” Liu Manqiang said, excitement bubbling up inside him. He didn’t yet know what kind of film it would be, but the chance to audition meant he might finally move beyond just playing bit parts—a prospect that thrilled him immensely.

“Oh, by the way, I wanted to ask,” Chen Jing suddenly remembered something, “Do you know any stunt performers or actors skilled in martial arts?”

Liu Manqiang was momentarily stunned by the question, then his face lit up with joy. “Yes, I do! I have a senior brother who’s also from a stunt background, and he has a martial arts team. Want me to bring him along tomorrow?”

“Perfect, bring you both then. That’s settled. I’ll hang up now—bye!”

“Bye!”

Liu Manqiang couldn’t contain his excitement and immediately called his senior brother. After a long ring, the call was answered.

“Manqiang? What’s up? Why are you calling now? I’m in the middle of shooting,” came a slightly authoritative voice.

“I found a gig. They need stunt performers and martial arts actors for a movie. The audition’s tomorrow. Interested?”

“Oh? Whose film is it?” The voice sounded curious but not impatient.

“Relax, it’s a Jingrun Entertainment production. Definitely reliable,” Liu Manqiang said cautiously, avoiding revealing it was Chen Jing’s project since Chen Jing’s clout in the film industry wasn’t strong. For now, he just wanted his senior brother to join him; whether they landed the roles would be up to them.

“You’re always so impatient. Fine, I’ll come with you tomorrow to check it out.” Hearing it was a Jingrun Entertainment film eased the senior’s doubts—big companies carried trust.

“Alright, I’ll contact you again tonight.”

“Okay, gotta get back to shooting. Talk later.”

After hanging up, Liu Manqiang breathed a sigh of relief and clenched his fist tightly. He had a feeling that if he seized this opportunity from Chen Jing, he might just turn his fortunes around spectacularly.

That very evening, amid the eager anticipation of countless fans, Ling Ruohan’s “Chen-Style” album was finally released. It was dubbed “Chen-Style” because every song was written by one person—the creator of “Nocturne,” the most beloved musical genius, Chen Jing.

A few days ago, after “Lonely Sandbar Chill” lost its explosive popularity due to a Weibo controversy, Chen Jing’s supplemental release, “Midnight Nocturne,” smoothly reclaimed the top spot on the Huaxia music charts.

For three months straight, Chen Jing’s compositions dominated the top ten on the charts, an almost unimaginable feat that cemented his status as the “gold medal” composer in everyone’s eyes.

Tonight, “Midnight Nocturne” finally lost its number one spot. After Huaxia’s diva Ling Ruohan released her album “Queen,” its two lead singles, “Girl’s Prayer” and “Queen,” swiftly topped the Huaxia Most Popular Music Chart, occupying the first and second positions within hours.

The two songs fiercely battled back and forth, trading places repeatedly.

By the end of the night, Ling Ruohan’s album sales had already become the monthly champion. If this momentum continued, breaking Chen Jing’s previous album sales record would be no problem at all.

“Finally, Han Han has released a new album. At least the next month’s playlist won’t be so repetitive.”

“Love ‘Girl’s Prayer’ so much. Jing’s composing talent is incredible. Of course, Han Han’s voice is the best.”

“As expected, the golden combo is Han Han singing with Jing composing. That’s the perfect match.”

“True, I adore Han Han’s songs, but honestly, Chen Jing’s compositions fit anyone perfectly. His ‘musical genius’ title is well deserved.”

“Chen Jing: The only person who can beat me is my own song. Dare to compete?”

“By the way, where has Jing been lately? After that Weibo incident, he’s been pretty quiet.”

“Probably immersed in composing. Otherwise, where would all these hits come from?”

“Makes sense.”

“……”

The moment Ling Ruohan’s album dropped, it received widespread praise. Apart from a few detractors, criticism was almost nonexistent.

Meanwhile, the musical genius everyone assumed was busy composing was, in truth, frantically juggling casting for his film.

The morning after the album release, Ling Ruohan dressed carefully and arrived at Chen Jing’s office.

Pushing the door open, she found Chen Jing alone inside, which made her secretly delighted.

Chen Jing, surprised to see her so early, asked, “Han Han, this early? It’s only a bit past seven. You usually don’t come until eight or nine.”

“Of course I had to come early,” Ling Ruohan said with a radiant smile, closing the office door behind her.

Chen Jing looked at her, wrapped in a full-length trench coat, and asked curiously, “What’s the hurry? Oh right, your album came out last night, right? How are the sales? Pretty good?”

“Excellent! Just like you said, breaking your album’s record shouldn’t be a problem,” Ling Ruohan said happily as she approached Chen Jing, unbuttoning her coat as she walked. “You helped me achieve such great results. How do you think I should repay you?” With that, she slowly slid off her trench coat.

Chen Jing waved his hand, smiling at her, “We don’t need to talk about that…”

But as Ling Ruohan revealed what she wore beneath, Chen Jing felt a rush of heat flood his face.

Under the trench coat, she wore skin-colored stockings paired with an ultra-short school uniform skirt. The skirt was clearly a size too small, hugging her curves and revealing a glimpse of her soft, alluring waist.

Chen Jing was so stunned he stood up abruptly. “Whoa… Han Han, what are you doing?” Even the expletive didn’t capture his shock.

“Nothing much, just came to thank my benefactor. So, how do you like my outfit?” Ling Ruohan sauntered over and gave him a coquettish wink.

Chen Jing swallowed hard. “I do like it, but…”

“Remember when I lost that bet to you at the Huaxia Voice finals?” Ling Ruohan draped a hand over his shoulder, speaking seductively, “I promised you, if I lost, you could ask me to do anything. Now I’m here to fulfill that promise. You can do whatever you want.”

She coquettishly licked her lips.

Chen Jing’s gaze involuntarily dropped to her chest, captivated by the full curves. He stammered, “Really… really anything?”

Noticing his wandering eyes, Ling Ruohan blushed but bravely pressed her chest forward and purred, “Of course.”

“Well… maybe then, Han Han, you could…” Chen Jing began, utterly entranced and stumbling over his words.

Ling Ruohan’s eyes sparkled with expectation.

Suddenly, Chen Jing dropped his infatuated act and teased, “How about you invest a few million in my movie?”

“Ah?!” Ling Ruohan froze, her expression a mixture of shock and disbelief.

Chen Jing burst out laughing, unable to hold back.

“You little devil, Jing! You’re trying to trick me!” Ling Ruohan snapped out of it, playfully attacking him with pinches.

“Ah, no pinching! I’m sorry, Han Han! You started teasing me first! No pinching, ouch!” Chen Jing quickly grabbed her hands, pleading.

Hearing his plea, Ling Ruohan stopped, pouting in confusion. “How did you know I was deliberately teasing you? I thought I was playing it cool—half serious, half joking. How could you tell?”